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How To Get The Akismet API Key Free For Your WP Blog

Anyone who has a WordPress blog has faced annoying comment spam at one point or another. At the same time, anyone who works with WordPress is familiar with the Akismet plugin. The Akismet plugin is included with every WordPress install (for good reason), but upon activation, you’ll discover it comes with a monthly fee. Is it possible to get the Akismet API Key free? In a word, YES!

What is Akismet?

Akismet is a WordPress plugin that acts as a spamfilter. Once activated, it will either silently delete your spam comments, or direct them into your spam folder for your review. Having some sort of spam filter is essential for your blog for obvious reasons. Once your blog starts to receive good traffic, your posts will also start to generate a good amount of comment spam.

Here is a screen shot of the amount of comments my blog has at the time of writing this comment spampost. How many of those comments are from real people? I’m sure there are quite a few, but I may never see them because of the massive amount of pending comments that are in fact, spam!

I would actually manually go through the comments, but it would take me hours a day of deleting comment after comment. It is sad how many people cheat with comments. It makes me smile when I deny them access to my link juice though!

How can you get Akismet API Key Free?

akismet API

When you try to activate the Akismet plugin, it will prompt you for an API key. It is extremely easy to generate an API key without paying for it. This will require you to open up a WordPress account. Installing WP on your blog does not do this automatically. You will have to fill out a form to do this like the one below.

Wordpress account

Once you have registered for a WordPress.com account, you can then select the level you want with Akismet. There are currently three options you’re offered at first: Basic, Plus, and Enterprise. Basic is a “donation-based” option where you can set your own price. Plus is $5 a month and Enterprise is $50 a month.

Akismet plans

If you want the Akismet API key free, you will have to select the Basic plan. Click the “Get Started” button on the left. You will be taken to a payment method screen and a slider bar to set what you’re willing to pay for Akismet.

akismet basic plan

The slider bar on the upper right portion of this screen is the important feature of this page. They recommend $36/year (or $3 a month). You can pay up to $120 a year ($10 a month) if you are feeling particularly generous, but if you want it for free, you will have to slide the bar all the way to the left until the smiley face becomes sad.

akismet free

Once you have selected free, you will enter in your name and generate your API key. Manually enter that API into plugin and you officially activated Akismet! Congratulations!

Akismet API Key Free Conclusion

Of course you may feel bad by not paying anything, but I think it is awesome they give you that option if you are particularly strapped for cash. I would recommend the Plus option if you can afford the $5 a month, but if you are just starting out, it pays to eradicate comment span – and free is an awesome value.

If you need help with other WordPress stuff, please check out my post on how to install wordpress here. There will be more tutorials heading your way so stay tuned! I hope you get tremendous value with your Akismet API Key Free!

 

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